Tuesday, December 18, 2012

What Does All This Sweat Mean?



As humans who are so obsessed with perfection, we've somehow created this image in our minds that sweating is horrible. Okay, if you're perspiring profusely and giving off rancid smells in the middle of the office, maybe it is kind of bad. But when you work out, it is actually a super duper thing.

When you exercise more and more, usually you learn to control your breath. The reverse is true for sweating. The more performance-oriented your body becomes, the more you tend to sweat. Why? Two reasons: One, you work out more so your body may produce more heat; and two, your body has become proficient in regulating its temperature. 

If you ever took a science class, you know that the purpose of sweat is to cool the body when it overheats. This is why you sweat more when your body produces more heat, like in the sun or even in the gym. And this is the same reason why it takes longer to produce sweat in freezing weather.

But don't just say "Hooray" if you've got to the point when you sweat a lot during exercise. Remember that what liquid you lose needs to be replenished. Which means you also need to be drinking more water or you could get dehydrated easily.

However, do not take this to mean that you burn more calories simply because you sweat more. There are other factors that determine how much sweat you produce besides how hard you work out, like your sex and your genes.

But if you've noticed that you've been steadily producing more and more sweat during exercise, rather than look for a million ways to reduce it or hide it, celebrate it! You work hard!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

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